Spring-coiling machine.



F. H. SLEEPER.

SPRING GOILING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1909.

1,045,900,, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

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SPRING 001mm MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MA Y 24, 1909. 1 45 990 Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

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FRANK SLEEPER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MORGAN SPRING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING-COILING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. SLEEPER, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at lVorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring-Coiling Machines, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming apart of the same, in v which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of a spring coiling machine embodying my present 1nvention. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an-end view. Fig. 4 is a detached View showing the cutting mechanism in plan view. Fig. 5 is a detached front View of the cutting mechanism. Fig. 6 is a central vertical sectional view of the hollow spindle carrying the coiling arbor. Fig. 7 is a side view of the gear 15 and clutch by which it is connected with the shaft 12.. Fig. 8 is a detached front view of the feed rolls. Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views showing different positions of the coiling spindle in the operation of coiling a spring, and Figs. 11, 12 and 13 illustrate different forms of springs which may be produced by different adjustments of the machine.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

My present invention relates to a machine 7 for coiling wire springs, having one or both ends of the wire of which thespring is formed projecting at a desired angle and length from the coils, such springs being known in the trade as jig springs, three forms of such springs being illustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide an automatic machine for the production of jig springs from a continuous coil of wire, and capable of certain novel adjustments by which the form of the'springs'can be varied, and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a supporting stand upon which the operative parts of the machine are mounted. Power is applied to the machine through a belt pulley 2 carried upon one end of a driving shaft 3. Upon the opposite end of the shaft 3 is a pinion 4 which engages a gear 5, having on one side diametrical ways 6, 6, for an adjustable head 7 carrying a crank pin 8 connected by a rod 9 with a rack 10, sliding on horizontal ways on the stand 1 and engaging a pinion 11 on the lower end of the vertical shaftl2. The upper end of'the shaft l2'is provided with a clutch, one member 13 of the clutch having a single tooth engaging a corresponding tooth on the other clutch member 14 formed on the side of a gear lo capable of turning loosely on the shaft 12 and engaging a pinion 16 on a hollow vertical spindle 1'7, j ournaledin bearings l8'and l9 and provided at its upper end with an external screw threaded collar 20, the threads of which are engaged by a fixed beveled stud 21 held in the framework of the machine. As the spindle 17 and screw threaded collar 20 are rotated, the engagement of the screw threaded collar withthe stud 21 will cause a rising or falling movement of the spindle 17 accord ing to the direction of rotation of the spindle. The lower end of the spindle 17 rcceives an arbor 22 provided with a collar 23 which is preferably integral with the arbor and carries a stud 24, which is held parallel with the axis of the arbor 22 and at a sufii- I cient radial distance therefrom to allow the f insertion of the wire to be coiled between the arbor 22 and stud 24 thereby holding the first coil of the wire upon the arbor. Ad-

justably attached to the bearing 19 is a stop 25 projecting into the path of a radially projecting stud 25 held in the hollow spindle 17 in order to check the rotation of the spindle,

and thereby limit its downward movement. Adjustable on horizontal ways 26 on the stand 1 is a plate 27, and adjustable on the plate 27 in ways 28 at right angles to the ways 26 is a plate 29, which carries a hollow steel bushing 30 through which the wire 31 to be coiled passes to the coiling arbor 22. Sliding'upon the front side of the plate 27 is a late 32, provided with a cam roll 33 whic is held in contact with a cam 34 car ried upon a shaft 35 by means of a spring '34, having one end attached to the plate 32 and the opposite end to a fixed stud. Adjustably held in the sliding plate 32 is a cutting bar 36, capable of being longitudinally adjusted in the plate 32 by means of a screw 37 Attached to the plate 27 by screws '38 is a'plate 39 provided with a bearing 40 for the shaft 35: The shaft 35 is connected by miter gears 41 with a shaft 42, which carries upon its end the gear and, as the shaft 35.

and cam; 34 rotate, the cam projection 43, during each revolution of the cam, contacts with the cam roll 33 to slide the plate. 32 carrying the cutting bar 36 held therein past 7 the hole in the bushing 30, therebysevering the wire between the bushing 30 and the rotating arbor 221 The wire 31 to be coiled is taken from a reel in a continuous length between the straightening rolls 44 of the usual construction, and between feed rolls 45 and 46 carried on vertical spindles which are con-- nected by gears 47 and 48. One of the spindles of the feed rolls is provided with a pinion 49, which engages agear 50 carrying a pinion 51 which is enga ed by a ratchet 52 attached to a vertical spindle 53, carrying a pinion 54 engaged by a sliding rack 55. The rack 55 is provided with a cam roll 56, and the-rack 55 is actuated in one direction by a cam 57 and/in the oppc'gsite direction by a spring 58, attached at one end to the rack and at the opposite end to a fixed portion of the framework. Adjustthe cam 57.

At the beginning of the coiling operation,

the hollow spindle 17 is in its lowest position, with the arbor 22. and stud 24 in position to receive thewire to be coiled between the arbor and stud and immediately beneath the collar 23. This position of the coiling arbor 22 and1stud24 is determined by the contact of the stud 25 against the stop 25, the latter being adjustable on the bearing 19 for this purpose. of the arbor 22 determines the diameter of the coiled spring, and the number of up ward rotations of the arbor during forward movement of the wire determines the number of coils in the spring. The pitch of the screw threaded collar'20 determines the distance separating each coil, enabling the wire to be coiled closely together or more or less open, and also enabling the vertical feeding movement of the coiling arbor to be-adjusted for Wire of different sizes. The coiling v arbor and the screw threaded collar are,

vformed on the spindle 17.

therefore, made removable and are held in place by a.clamping bolt.61, having a polygonal head 62 at its upper end bearing against a washer 63 which rests upon the top of the screw threaded collar 20,- holding the latter firmly against the shoulder 64 The diameteri The lower end of the clamping bolt 61 is screw threaded and inserted in a screw threaded hole in the upper end of the coilvertical. movement of the spindle 17 and passes into the bearing 18 as the spindle moves downwardly.

In Figs. 11, 12 and 13 I have shown three forms of jig springs among a great variety capable of being automatically coiled upon the machine herein described. The three forms illustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 difi'er principally in the position and length of the arms which are formedby the projetting ends of the wire at oppositeends of the spring, spring 65 showing two arms 66 and 67 of equal length and standing at right angles to each other. 68 denotes a spring having two arms 69 and 7 O of unequal lengths and placed parallel to each other, but extending in opposite directions, and 71 denotes a spring having two arms 72 and 73 of unequal lengths, but projecting in the same direction.

In the operation-of coilinga spring, such as that shown at 65, Fig. 11, the wire to be coiled is projected through the bushing 30 between the coilingarbor 22' and the stud 24 a suflicient distance to formthe arm 67 the rotation of the coiling arbor then winds the spring the desired number of coils during the upward movement of the coiling arbor. The first coil of the spring is held upon the arbor between the stud 24 and the arbor and, as the arbor gradually moves upward, the wire is wound upon it in coils, with the distance between the coils governed by the pitch of the screw threaded collar 20. The upward movement of the arbor is continued until a spring of the desired length is formed upon the arbor below the plate 23. The reverse or return movement of the arbor is I then begun by reversing the movement of the rack bar 10 and as soon as the slight recoil in the wound spring has;

taken place, due to the-elasticity of the wire,

the cutting bar 36 is pushed forward by the contact of the cam projection 43 with the cam roll 33 cutting off the wire to form the arm 66. The reverse movement of the arbor is then continued to bring the arbor and stud 24 into the position from which they started, arranged to receive the wire to be coiled between them, when the operation of'forming a spring may be repeated,

The elasticity of the wound spring, causing the slight recoil referred to above, separates the spring from the arbor and allows it to drop off as soon as the wire is out. The

"number and position of the coils of the spring 65 determine the relative position of the arms 66 and 67. The lengthof the arm 66 is determined by adjusting the plate 27 on the horizontal ways 26, in order to bring the cutting mechanism the desired distance 1 from the coiling arbor.

During the operation of coiling, the coiling arbor is driven by the positive engagement of the clutch mechanism between the shaft 12 and gear 15. During the'reverse movement of the shaft 12, the clutch teeth are held in contact by the spring lat which connects the clutch member 13 and the gear 15. The clutch tooth on the gear 15 follows the clutch tooth on the clutch member 13 until the stud 25 strikes thestop plate 25, which checks the reverse movement-of the spindle 17 and gear 15, and any further movement of the shaft 12 would, of course, cause the teeth of the clutch mechanism to separate andthe spring 14 to yield. The

cutting bar 36 is longitudinally adjusted in the plate 32 by means of a screw 37 The adjustment of the plate 29 on the horizontal ways 28 of the plate 27 enables the bushing 30 and cutting bar 36 to be laterally adjusted, so as to feed the wire between the coiling arbor 22 and stud 24. By changing the screw threaded collar and reversing the operation of the coiling mechanism, a left hand spring can be coiled.

I claim,

1. In a machine for coiling wire springs, a rotatable arbor, means for holding the end of a wire from rotation on said arbor, means for moving said arbor longitudinally by the rotation of said arbor, feed rolls for feeding said wire to said arbor, and adjustable automatic means for imparting rotation to said rolls during the rotation of said arbor.

2. In a machine for coiling wire'springs, a rotatable arbor, means for moving said arbor longitudinally, means for feeding a wire to said arbor, means between said feeding mechanism and said arbor for determining the line of feed of said wire, and means between said mechanism for determining the line of feed and said arbor for severing said wire. I

3. In a machine for coiling wire springs, a. longitudinally moving arbor, means for rotating said arbor, means for feeding a s adjusting said severing mechanlsm relatively to said line of feed and also relatively arbor, means for feeding a wire to said arbor, said means arranged to operate relatively to the rotation of said arbor, means between said feeding mechanism and said arbor for severingsaid wire, and means for varying the distance between said severing mechanism and said arbor.

6. In a machine for coiling wire springs, a rotatable arbor, means for moving said arbor longitudinally by the rotation of said arbor, means for feeding a wire to said arbor, arranged to operate relatively to the rotation of said arbor, and means between said feeding mechanism and said arbor for severing the wire, said severing means arranged to operate relatively to said feeding mechanism.

7. In a machine for coiling wire springs, a rotatable arbor, means .for movmg sald arbor longitudinally by the rotation of said arbor, means for feeding a wire to said ar bor relatively to its rotation in one direction, with thedirection of rotation of said arbor arranged to be reversed as desired, thereby reversing the lengthwise movement of said arbor, and adjustable means for automatically checking the reverse rotation of said arbor at a predetermined point.

8. In a machine for coiling wire springs, a vertical arbor having its lower end free for the delivery of a coiled spring by gravity, means for rotating said arbor, means for feeding a wire to said arbor, adjustably ar ranged to operate relatively to the rotation ,of said arbor, and means for'imparting an upward movement to said arbor during the rotation of said arbor.

9. In a machine for coiling wire springs, a vertical arbor, means for rotating said ar bor, means for imparting an upward movementto said arbor during its rotation, means for feeding a wire to said arbor relatively to its rotation, means between said feeding mechanism and said arbor for severing said wire, means for reversing the rotation of said arbor to impart a downward movement thereto, and means for adjustably determining the position of the arbor to end its downward movement.

10. In a machine for coiling wire springs, the combination of a longitudinally moving arbor, means for rotating said arbor, a feeding mechanism operating relatively to the rotation of said. arbor, a bushing between said feeding mechanism and said arbor for determining the line of feedto said arbor,

' and a severing mechanism between said "bushing and said arbor.

11. In an automatlc machine for coiling wire springs, a rotatable arbor, means for rotating saldarbor, means for mov ng said arbor longitudinally by the rotation of said bushing between said feed said wire between said bushing and said arbor.

12. In an automatic maehinefor coiling wiresprings, a rotatable arbor, means for movingsaid arbor longitudinally by the rotation of said arbor, means for feeding a wire to said arbor arranged to operate relatively to the rotation of said arbor, a bushing between I said feeding mechanism and said arbor, said bushing adjustable rela-- ,tively to the feed line of thewire and also to said arbor, a cutting'mechanism between of said arbor, a

said bushing and said arbor, saidvcutting mechanism adjustable relatively to the feed line of the wire and, with said bushing, relatively to said arbor, and means for operating said cuttin' mechanism relatively to sa1d feeding mec anism.

13. Inan automatic machine for coiling 1 wire springs, afrotatable arbor, means for moving said arbor longitudinally, means. for feedingja predetermined-length of wire to said arbor, an adjustablebushing between said feeding mechanism and said afloor, and a euttingmechanism between said bushing and said arbor.

Dated this twenty-second day of May 'FRANK H, SLEEPER. Witnesses:

PENELOPE COMBERBAOH, v NELLIE WHALEN. 

